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If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what to watch after finishing your latest Filipino drama, your next favourite series might not be another local hit or even the latest K-drama. It might be waiting just across the border.
As the home of Asian storytelling, Viki has long connected audiences with some of the region’s most beloved series. While Korean dramas remain a cornerstone of its catalogue, the platform’s growing collection of Southeast Asian titles is introducing viewers to a different kind of binge, one where stories from neighbouring countries feel both refreshingly new and surprisingly familiar.
That’s because great stories don’t stop at borders.
Whether it’s the butterflies of first love, the pressure of chasing your dreams, complicated family dynamics or the excitement of discovering who you are, these are experiences shared across Southeast Asia. The settings, languages and traditions may differ, but the emotions resonate no matter where the story unfolds.
So if you’re looking for your next obsession, here’s where to start:
Still Chasing The Magic Of Campus Romances?
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
Few genres capture the excitement and uncertainty of growing up quite like a good campus drama.
Philippine favourites like “The Rain in EspaΓ±a”, “The Muse of Section E” and “He’s Into Her” have won audiences over with unforgettable first loves, friendships that feel like family and the rollercoaster of navigating school while figuring out who you want to become. Their characters are messy, hopeful and deeply relatable, making every triumph and heartbreak feel personal.
If that’s the feeling you’re looking for, let your next stop be Thailand with “My Tutor, My Love”. While it follows characters entering adulthood rather than university life, it captures many of the same emotional beats. Eva is determined to land a career-defining role and turns to English tutor Pun for help, only to discover that matters of the heart can complicate even the clearest plans. It’s a story about ambition, vulnerability and unexpected romance, proving that growing up doesn’t stop after graduation.
Love Romance That Keeps You Emotionally Invested?
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
Sometimes you’re not looking for a light-hearted love story. You want a drama that keeps your heart racing long after the credits roll.
Thailand’s “Rabbit on the Moon” delivers exactly that. As Pitcha and Jira navigate love, ambition and the expectations placed upon them, the series explores how timing, personal choices and the pursuit of success can shape relationships in unexpected ways. It’s the kind of romance that leaves you thinking about the characters long after you’ve finished the final episode.
For viewers who enjoy equally emotional journeys from the Philippines, “Safe Skies, Archer” offers a different perspective on love tested by life’s biggest decisions. As Hiro prepares to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot abroad, his growing relationship with Yanna forces both characters to confront whether love can survive when two futures begin to move in different directions.
Together, they remind us that no matter where a story takes place, love is rarely simple.
Looking For Something With Bigger Twists?
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
If you enjoy stories that blend romance with mystery, destiny and dramatic turns, Southeast Asia has plenty to offer.
The Philippines’ “I Love You Since 1892” follows Carmela as she’s mysteriously transported back in time to the 1890s, where she falls for a man whose fate she desperately wants to change. Blending historical romance with fantasy, it offers a fresh take on timeless questions about destiny, sacrifice and whether love can rewrite history.
For viewers craving equally dramatic storytelling, Thailand’s “Sunset in Winter” delivers a sweeping tale of betrayal, lost memories and second chances. What begins with an arranged marriage soon evolves into a story of survival, redemption and unexpected love, proving that some of the most unforgettable romances emerge from the most extraordinary circumstances.
Different stories. Different worlds. The same irresistible urge to watch just one more episode.
Southeast Asia Tells More Than Love Stories
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
Romance may draw viewers in, but it’s only one part of what makes Southeast Asian storytelling so compelling.
Philippine adaptation “Bad Genius” explores the pressures of academic success and the ethical dilemmas young people face when opportunity comes at a cost, while “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” takes a deeply emotional look at mental health, caregiving and healing through relationships that are as complex as they are heartfelt.
Many of Viki’s Philippine favourites also began as bestselling web novels before becoming hit television series, reflecting how digital storytelling continues to shape a new generation of Southeast Asian creators and the stories they choose to tell.
Together, they showcase the remarkable breadth of the region’s storytelling, from coming-of-age romances and historical fantasies to socially relevant dramas that continue conversations beyond the screen.
Your Next Favourite Story Might Be Next Door
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
One of the greatest joys of discovering stories from another Southeast Asian country isn’t simply experiencing a different culture.
It’s realising how familiar those stories feel.
The family dinners. The pressure to succeed. Friends who become chosen family. Parents who want the best for their children, even when they don’t always know how to show it. The excitement of first love. The uncertainty of growing up. These moments don’t belong to one country. They belong to all of us.
That’s what makes Viki’s growing Southeast Asian collection so rewarding to explore. Rather than treating Philippine and Thai dramas as separate worlds, the platform brings them together, making it easier than ever to move from one story to the next and discover creators, cultures and perspectives that might otherwise have remained just out of reach.
SOURCE: RAKUTEN VIKI
The next great drama doesn’t always have to come from where you expect. Sometimes, it’s another perspective on experiences you already know: first love, family, ambition and finding your place in the world. Through its growing collection of Southeast Asian stories, Viki invites viewers to discover just how much the region has to share, one series at a time.
Ready for your next binge? Explore Viki’s collection of Southeast Asian dramas and discover your next favourite story.
Some flavours never fade, they simply wait to be rediscovered. After years away, Coffee Terrace’s much-loved dinner buffet makes its return with “The Nostalgic Spread”, bringing back a much-missed dining experience filled with familiar flavours, timeless favourites and new culinary discoveries. Available from 15th August 2026 onwards, the refreshed buffet invites guests to once again gather over an extensive spread that celebrates comforting tastes and memorable moments.
Featuring rotating menus served on different days, “The Nostalgic Spread” offers a diverse selection of dishes across local heritage cuisine, Chinese specialities, authentic Japanese favourites, Western classics and Indian delicacies. While signature stations remain available throughout the week, selected dishes will rotate regularly to give returning guests a different experience with every visit.
SOURCE: RESORTS WORLD GENTING
The buffet celebrates the richness of Malaysian flavours with much-loved classics including Hainanese chicken rice, roasted chicken, roasted duck, chicken char siew, Nyonya curry laksa, fried kuey teow and Kampung fried rice, complemented by traditional favourites such as satay, otak-otak, satar ikan and an assortment of local snacks.
Guests can also enjoy an extensive Asian selection featuring Chinese dishes with rotating seafood preparations, soups and wok-fried specialities, alongside a Japanese section offering favourites such as salmon and tuna sashimi, assorted sushi and maki, takoyaki, chicken gyoza, teppanyaki and more selections. Seafood enthusiasts can indulge in the dedicated Seafood on Ice station, featuring prawns, New Zealand green mussels and clams served with a variety of accompaniments.
The Western selection adds further variety with dishes such as grilled lamb shoulder, BBQ chicken, seafood selections and comforting soups, while the Indian section offers aromatic rice, naan, curries, tandoori selections and traditional favourites. On Fridays and Saturdays, guests can look forward to a special carving station featuring highlights such as marinated roast beef with herbs and roasted lamb leg, served alongside sauces and grilled vegetables.
SOURCE: RESORTS WORLD GENTING
The dining experience is completed with an indulgent dessert spread featuring familiar favourites including ice kacang, cendol, French pastries, Nyonya and Malay kuih, and an assortment of sweet treats, alongside rotating desserts inspired by local and international flavours.
Available daily from 5pm to 9.30pm, the dinner buffet is priced at RM88 for adults and RM48 for children from Sunday to Thursday, while weekend pricing on Friday and Saturday is RM108 for adults and RM58 for children. Guests dining between 5pm and 6pm can also enjoy the Early Bird Promotion, priced at RM78 for adults, RM38 for children and RM68 for senior citizens.
Adding to Resorts World Genting’s line-up of dining experiences this August, Food Factory will also introduce its limited-time Food & Fruits buffet from 14th to 31st August 2026. Available daily for lunch from 12pm to 2.30pm and dinner from 5.30pm to 9.30pm, the buffet features an all-you-can-eat feast of premium tropical fruits alongside a wide variety of local, Asian and Western favourites. With rotating menus for both lunch and dinner, guests can enjoy a different selection of dishes with every visit.
SOURCE: RESORTS WORLD GENTING
The experience is further elevated with unlimited servings of premium durian alongside seasonal tropical fruits such as cempedak, mangosteen, rambutan and langsat, offering guests the chance to savour some of Malaysia’s best seasonal flavours in one indulgent feast. The buffet is priced at RM88 for adults and RM48 for children during lunch, while dinner is available at RM98 for adults and RM58 for children.
With the return of Coffee Terrace’s beloved dinner buffet and the addition of the Food Factory limited-time fruit feast, Resorts World Genting welcomes guests to rediscover familiar favourites and savour new flavours through a buffet experience where every dish tells a story.
For more information, visit rwgenting.com or follow Resort World Genting’s official media.
This Mid-Autumn Festival, Marriott Executive Apartments Kuala Lumpur celebrates togetherness with A Moon Sent with Love. The thoughtfully curated mooncake collection features six specially crafted flavours.
Beautifully presented in the EcoMoon Signature Gift Bag, each mooncake carries a heartfelt message of love, care, and connection, making every gift a meaningful expression of togetherness.
SOURCE: MARRIOTT EXECUTIVE APARTMENTS KUALA LUMPUR
Early Bird Promotion
Pre-order Period: 31 July – 15 August 2026
Collection Period: 20 August – 25 September 2026
Early Bird Price: RM138 nett per gift bag
Regular Price: RM158 nett per gift bag
Enjoy RM20 savings on every gift bag and receive an exclusive 20% Bistro Kia Peng dining voucher with every purchase.
EcoMoon Signature Gift Bag
Thoughtfully designed beyond the festive season, the EcoMoon Signature Gift Bag reflects Marriott Executive Apartments Kuala Lumpur’s commitment to sustainable gifting. Created to be reused and treasured, it brings a meaningful second life to every gift.
Curate your own EcoMoon Signature Gift Bag by selecting any four different mooncakes from the six signature flavours. Each gift bag includes one piece of each chosen flavour, offering a delightful variety and a balanced tasting experience.
Available Flavours:
Shanghai Twilight
Scarlet Rose
Pandan Lotus
White Lotus with Yolk
Choco Pistachio
Classic Assorted Nuts
SOURCE: MARRIOTT EXECUTIVE APARTMENTS KUALA LUMPUR
SOURCE: MARRIOTT EXECUTIVE APARTMENTS KUALA LUMPUR
Whether shared around the family table or presented as a thoughtful gift to family, friends, colleagues, or valued business associates, this Mooncake Collection is a meaningful way to celebrate reunion and create cherished Mid-Autumn memories.
Reserve your Mooncake Collection today and let your love be carried home with the moon.
Get ready to discover a new kind of flavour adventure as K Fry Urban Korean turns up the excitement with its latest limited-time menu, the Rasa Kick Series. Bringing together Korean-inspired flavours, playful desserts and interactive dining experiences, the new series invites diners to gather, indulge and create more memorable “rasa” moments with every visit.
At the heart of the menu is the all-new K’rispy Gochu Mayo Chicken, a flavour-packed creation that delivers the perfect “kick” of sweet, savoury and spicy notes. Featuring golden crispy chicken generously coated in a creamy gochujang mayo sauce, each bite brings together an irresistible crunch with a rich and mildly spicy finish. Available as Half Chicken from RM42.90 (excl. SST & SVC) and Soonsal Chicken from RM25.70 (excl. SST & SVC), it is set to become the next must-try favourite for Korean fried chicken lovers looking to spice up their dining experience.
Balancing the savoury kick are two refreshing creations inspired by sweet corn, bringing a familiar yet delicious finish to every meal. Priced from RM23.80 (excl. SST & SVC), the Poppin’ Sweet Corn Bingsoo layers sweet corn, refreshing lemon jelly and fluffy shaved ice, before being topped with strawberry jam and caramel popcorn for a playful mix of sweet, tangy and crisp textures in every spoonful.
Adding to the sweet escape is the Velvet Sweet Corn Shake, priced from RM19.90 (excl. SST & SVC). Blended with creamy milk, vanilla ice cream and sweet corn, then finished with whipped cream, strawberry and crunchy cookie crumbs, the indulgent shake offers a smooth and satisfying treat that perfectly complements the bold flavours of the meal.
The Rasa Kick Series is available for a limited time from 10th August to 30th September 2026 at all K Fry Urban Korean outlets nationwide. The K’rispy Gochu Mayo Chicken is also available via K Fry’s official website and GrabFood, while the Poppin’ Sweet Corn Bingsoo and Velvet Sweet Corn Shake are available exclusively for dine-in.
SOURCE: K FRY
SOURCE: K FRY
Customers who spend a minimum of RM80 in a single dine-in receipt, inclusive of any Coca-Cola product, are eligible to participate in the challenge. Customers stand a chance to win a pair of Bose Headphones worth up to RM1,799, along with other exciting prizes, including exclusive K Fry merchandise and K Fry Boneless Fried Chicken.
The challenges will rotate throughout the campaign period, giving diners a fresh reason to return and test their skills:
30 Seconds Sketch (10 August – 23 August): In pairs, one participant sketches a given action within 30 seconds while the other guesses the answer. Successful pairs will receive one (1) Gachapon Spin.
Guess the Menu (24 August – 13 September): Match three ingredient combinations to the correct menu cards within 30 seconds. Customers who complete the challenge will receive one (1) Gachapon Spin, while those who finish within 20 seconds will also receive one (1) K Fry Boneless Fried Chicken (available at selected outlets only).
Spin the Trivia (14 September – 30 September): Spin the wheel and answer a K Fry trivia question based on the selected category. Correct answers will earn one (1) Gachapon Spin.
SOURCE: K FRY
Whether it is catching up over crispy Korean fried chicken, treating yourself to a sweet creation or taking on a fun challenge with friends, the Rasa Kick Series brings together everything diners love about a memorable K Fry experience: great food, good company and a little extra excitement.
For the latest promotions and updates, follow K Fry Malaysia on Instagram.
Roku Gin, the authentic Japanese craft gin from The House of Suntory, introduces Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition, a limited-edition expression inspired by Noryo, the Japanese tradition of seeking moments of refreshment and tranquillity during the height of summer.
Following the successful debut of the Sakura Bloom Edition in 2024, the Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition arrives as the second release in the Seasonal Festival Collection. The Editions are crafted with Roku’s signature commitment to Shun – the Japanese philosophy of celebrating ingredients at their seasonal peak, when ripeness and freshness come together to express their most exceptional flavor. Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition highlights two of Roku Gin’s six signature Japanese botanicals, Sencha tea and Gyokuro green tea, harvested at their seasonal peak to create a refreshing summer expression.
SOURCE: SUNTORY ROKU GIN
After its recent Singapore debut, Roku Gin will bring “Asia’s Smallest Tea Bar” to Malaysia, creating a refreshing escape where consumers can discover the Noryo Tea Edition through seasonal cocktail collaboration, matcha cocktail masterclasses and modern lifestyle collaborations.
A Summer Expression Rooted In Japanese Craftsmanship
Rooted in Roku Gin’s meticulous approach to craftsmanship, the Noryo Tea Edition reflects the brand’s commitment to delivering exceptional quality through Japan’s finest seasonal botanicals. This limited-edition expression brings together Sencha and Gyokuro teas, combining the vibrant freshness of Sencha with the rich umami depth that defines Gyokuro.
Tasting Notes: The Sensory Profile of Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition
Nose: A delicate, grassy lift of Sencha tea layered over soft citrus and traditional gin notes, reminiscent of a cool breeze gliding across a warm meadow.
Palate: Rich, complex Gyokuro aromas unfold across the palate, hints of sweetness and umami of this prestigious tea perfectly balancing the lighter, floral notes of Sencha.
Finish: Yuzu citrus, bright Sansho spice, and traditional gin characteristics slowly build into a harmonious finish with elegant tea aromas.
The Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition Bottle Design
SOURCE: SUNTORY ROKU GIN
This limited edition bottle design captures the spirit of Noryo by featuring tea leaf illustrations, a washi-inspired label with green accents, and botanical elements embossed directly into the glass. Each element represents Roku Gin’s appreciation for seasonality, nature, and the artistry behind every bottle.
Discovering New Moments Of Refreshment Through Tea And Gin
Beyond its seasonal inspiration, Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition invites consumers to experience gin through the familiar world of Japanese tea. By combining recognisable green tea flavours with Roku Gin’s signature Japanese botanicals, the expression offers an approachable entry point for consumers to explore gin in a fresh and unexpected way.
Whether enjoyed during a quiet personal pause, a catch-up with friends, or as part of a crafted cocktail experience, Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition encourages consumers to step away from everyday, mundane routines and rediscover moments of connection and refreshment.
“As Malaysia’s No. 1 gin, Roku Gin is committed to bringing the latest expressions of Japanese seasonality and craftsmanship to this priority market. Noryo Tea Edition is the newest example of that commitment, we wanted to introduce a new way for consumers to experience gin by connecting with the growing appreciation for green tea and tea-inspired flavours. Through our collaborations with beverage talents and local venues, we are creating more approachable and engaging ways for consumers to discover Roku Gin, it also shows how Japanese craftsmanship can be brought into contemporary drinking occasion,” said Roger Chen, Marketing Director, Southeast Asia.
Through this expression, Roku Gin continues to redefine how consumers experience Japanese craft gin, transforming seasonal ingredients into meaningful moments of discovery.
Taking an unconventional approach to cocktail programming, Roku Gin has partnered with Shaun Liew, founder of ONO Specialty Coffee & Matcha and three-time Malaysia Brewers Cup champion, bringing a specialty tea perspective into the world of cocktails. Reflecting the brand’s ambition to engage new consumers and make cocktail culture more approachable, Shaun will collaborate with head bartenders from partnering bars to create a bespoke Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition serve unique to each venue.
Bringing Noryo Tea Edition To Malaysia Through Asia’s Smallest Tea Bar
SOURCE: SUNTORY ROKU GIN
Serving as the first consumer touchpoint for Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition, Asia’s Smallest Tea Bar will take place at Coley from 17th to 22nd August, inviting consumers to step away from their usual cocktail choices and discover Roku Gin through tea-inspired cocktails, including the signature Noryo Melon Fizz, and matcha-led experiences designed around the new expression. Consumers can sign up via Eventbrite to redeem a complimentary Noryo Melon Fizz, while also participating in limited-seat experiences including a Matcha Cocktail Masterclass hosted by Shaun Liew. As part of the experience, participants will enjoy a complimentary Noryo Tea Edition cocktail and receive an exclusive Roku Noryo art handfan.
Extending the Noryo experience beyond Coley, the cocktail programme will feature partnering bars such as Pahit, TeRu.Mi, Bar Gaya and Dear Hearts and Chilled Spirits, each presenting their own interpretation of Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition through a bespoke venue-exclusive serve with the curated menu launching from 1 September onwards.
“Tea has always been about discovery. From understanding different ingredients to appreciating the nuances in every cup. What makes Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition special is how it brings the familiarity of Japanese tea culture into the world of cocktails, creating a new way for consumers to explore flavour. This collaboration showcases how tea can be reimagined beyond its traditional format, while introducing more people to the versatility and creativity of tea-inspired drinks,” said Shaun Liew, founder of ONO Specialty Coffee & Matcha and three-time Malaysia Brewers Cup champion.
SOURCE: SUNTORY ROKU GIN
“At Coley, we are always looking for new ways to introduce guests to unique flavours and experiences. Asia’s Smallest Tea Bar is an exciting opportunity to bring Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition to life in a way that feels approachable, inviting both first-time gin drinkers and existing enthusiasts to discover something different. We hope to create a space where guests can take a break, explore tea-inspired cocktails, and experience a fresh perspective on gin,” said Loco, Bar Manager at Coley.
More than a limited-edition release, Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition is an invitation to embrace the Japanese philosophy of Noryo, finding refreshment, connection and appreciation for the season through thoughtfully crafted experiences.
Experience Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition
Roku Gin Noryo Tea Edition
700ml | 43% ABV
RRP: [RM248.00]
Available at selected retail and on-trade locations. This product contains alcohol and is intended for non-Muslim consumers aged 21 and above only.
“In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight.”
These are the words sworn by every Green Lantern since the ring first chose a bearer. It’s a vow. To watch when no one else is watching. To show up when everyone else has clocked out.
“For those who worship evil’s might, beware my power, Green Lantern’s light!”
Source: DC Studios | Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in HBO’s “Lanterns”
Indeed, that light is about to beam out with “Lanterns”, HBO’s live-action swing at the hero under James Gunn and Peter Safran, and it is decidedly not the neon space opera you’re picturing. Created by Chris Mundy (“Ozark”) alongside “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof and legendary DC Comics writer Tom King, the show was built from the ground up as a prestige detective thriller first and a superhero series second. Think “True Detective” with a power ring.
Well, it goes like this. Rookie John Stewart and Corps legend Hal Jordan, two of DC’s most iconic Green Lanterns, are dropped into a murder investigation in small-town Nebraska. Don’t get us wrong, there’s still the cosmic mythology, buddy-cop chemistry, and a genuine whodunnit.
And because DC has been trickling out cast names for what feels like geological time, the ensemble has quietly become one of the deepest in the DCU without most people clocking who’s actually playing who. So consider this your syllabus.
Pens down and rings up. Here we go!
John Stewart
Source: DC Studios | Aaron Pierre as John Stewart in HBO’s “Lanterns”
Leading the charge in this series is Aaron Pierre (“The Underground Railroad,” “Rebel Ridge”) as John Stewart, the rookie who gets handed a murder mystery approximately four days into the job. That’s rough, buddy.
Well, even if he’s a rookie here, Stewart isn’t quite a rookie to the mythology. Indeed, he made his debut in 1971 as an unemployed architect who got drafted as Hal’s backup, and his intro issue was a genuinely big cultural swing at the time.
An unmasked Black superhero on the cover? Refusing to hide who he was?
Source: DC
Nevertheless, if your first exposure to John Stewart was Phil LaMarr voicing him in “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited” in the early 2000s, congrats, you’re part of the generation who assumed he was THE Green Lantern.
But here’s the kicker… For all that history, “Lanterns” actually marks John Stewart’s first-ever live-action outing! Fifty-plus years in the comics, a whole animated legacy, and Pierre is the one breaking that seal. And thankfully, DC clearly isn’t treating this as a one-and-done, because Pierre is already confirmed to be reprising Stewart in “Man of Tomorrow,” James Gunn’s 2027 Superman sequel opposite David Corenswet and Lars Eidinger’s Brainiac. So, it’s basically an origin story for a character who’s about to become load-bearing for the entire DCU.
It very nearly wasn’t Pierre’s origin story to have, either. Back in Zack Snyder’s cut of “Justice League,” actor Wayne T. Carr was cast and filmed as John Stewart for a cameo meant to close out the film, only for Warner Bros. to cut the scene and swap in Martian Manhunter instead, reportedly because the studio had its own separate plans for a Green Lantern property.
Source: DC Studios | Aaron Pierre as John Stewart in HBO’s “Lanterns”
One thing that the show is doing differently is how Stewart gets his ring. In the comics and every prior adaptation, Green Lantern rings pick their own wearers. In “Lanterns,” however, Stewart is the first Green Lantern in Corps history to be handpicked by the Guardians of the Universe directly instead of chosen by a ring, which makes him an anomaly even by his own comics standards. And the reason he’s being fast-tracked at all is that he’s being trained to eventually replace Hal outright, which puts an entirely different kind of pressure on the rookie-legend dynamic than “new guy shadows the veteran.”
Where Hal runs on gut instinct (more on that in a second), Stewart’s always been characterised as the disciplined one, a former Marine and trained architect who approaches the ring like an engineering problem rather than a party trick. He’s principled almost to a fault, unwilling to compromise his integrity even when it’d make his life easier, and historically the Lantern who’s had to fight hardest to be taken seriously by the Guardians despite being, by most measures, one of the most capable.
Source: DC Studios | Aaron Pierre as John Stewart in HBO’s “Lanterns”
There’s also a chip-on-the-shoulder quality to Stewart that’s been core to the character since day one, and it comes from a very deliberate place. He was written from the jump as someone acutely aware he was picked as Hal’s backup, and expected to prove himself twice as hard for half the recognition.
That framing hasn’t really gone away across fifty-plus years of comics: Stewart is the Lantern who gets it right and still has to argue for credit. Considering the show is pairing an established legend with a green (again, pun very much intended) recruit, it tracks that this exact dynamic, the guy who has to outperform his own doubts just to be seen as an equal, is baked into the DNA of the pairing rather than something the writers invented from scratch.
Hal Jordan
Source: DC Studios | Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in HBO’s “Lanterns”
Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler (“Friday Night Lights,” “Bloodline”), is the grizzled Corps legend who trained his entire life for this. If your brain immediately went to Coach Taylor barking “clear eyes, full hearts” at a locker room, you’re not wrong to go there; that’s basically the energy transplant happening here, just with a magic ring instead of a playbook.
So, here’s the nerd homework. Hal’s the original Silver Age Green Lantern, first swinging a ring back in 1959 and co-founding the Justice League a year later. If your only Hal Jordan is Ryan Reynolds in that 2011 movie (you poor soul) everyone agreed to forget, you’re missing the juicier lore.
Source: DC Comics
In the DC Animated Universe of the 90s and 2000s, Hal was basically benched; his comics counterpart was mid-villain-arc at the time, which is exactly why John Stewart, as we just got into above, got the spotlight instead. Hal didn’t get his redemption arc until 2004.
Personality-wise, Hal’s always been the ring’s textbook success story: a hotshot test pilot with more willpower than sense, the guy the Guardians of the Universe picked specifically because he’s fearless to the point of recklessness. He’s cocky, he’s a rule-bender, and he’s the Lantern most likely to fly headfirst into a situation everyone else would plan around. Think Maverick from “Top Gun”. Chandler’s “weathered legend” take leans into the version of Hal who’s been humbled a bit by time, less hotshot, more someone who’s seen what recklessness costs.
Source: DC Studios | Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in HBO’s “Lanterns”
And that’s arguably the biggest swing “Lanterns” is taking with him. Chandler flips the entire Hal Jordan dynamic. He’s the one who’s already been humbled, already buried friends, already learned the hard way that willpower alone doesn’t fix everything.
The show’s version of Hal is explicitly approaching retirement and only sticking around long enough to train Stewart as his replacement. Showrunner Chris Mundy has said the writers pulled inspiration from Sam Shepard’s take on Chuck Yeager in “The Right Stuff,” the stoic, dry-witted, impossibly cool test pilot archetype, and reportedly cast Chandler specifically because he already had that same understated humour built in. There’s also a nastier wrinkle hanging over him: because Sinestro was Hal’s mentor before everything went sideways, the Guardians of the Universe are apparently on edge about what Hal might have picked up from him along the way. Oh yes, nothing like a little distrust to spice up your retirement tour.
Source: DC Studios | Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in HBO’s “Lanterns”
Chandler himself has leaned hard into that old mentor bond as an actor, calling the work he put into Hal and Sinestro’s shared history deeply personal and saying he built out small private details with Thomsen to make the relationship feel genuinely intimate rather than just backstory exposition. He’s also credited a lot of his and Pierre’s on-screen chemistry to Pierre’s ability to make a single look feel loaded, joking that Pierre can shoot him a glance “like he wanted to break my neck.”
Guy Gardner
Source: DC Studios | Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner in “Superman”
Everyone’s favourite (or least favourite, depending on who you ask) Nathan Fillion (“Firefly,” “Castle”) is back as Guy Gardner, a role he’s been quietly cameo-ing his way through the DCU for a while now. Indeed, Fillion already debuted as Guy in 2025’s “Superman” and reprised him for a “Peacemaker” Season 2 cameo before “Lanterns” ever started filming.
Gardner’s been around since 1968, created as basically a footnote: the guy who almost got the ring instead of Hal and lost. His own creative team has admitted they thought he was borderline useless at first. It wasn’t until a later writer leaned all the way into making him a headbutting, ego-driven menace that Guy Gardner became, somehow, one of the most beloved jerks in DC Comics. Think Han Solo if he never grew out of his cocky phase.
Source: DC Studios | Nathan Fillion returns as Guy Gardner in “Lanterns”
Comic-accurate bowl cut and all, he’s leaned all the way into the arrogant, brash, borderline-obnoxious version of Guy that longtime readers know and love, right down to reportedly referencing an old, very specific comic detail about Guy’s brain injury shaping his personality. Fillion basically did the reading. If you want a preview of what “Lanterns” Guy is going to feel like, his “Superman” scenes are the best possible cheat sheet, though Fillion himself has said this version is cranked up even higher-strung than his “Superman” debut. He’s also apparently a former gym teacher in this timeline, which honestly explains so much about the character’s whole deal that we’re mad we didn’t guess it sooner. Fillion has described Guy as the literal last Lantern you’d want showing up to an actual emergency, which, if you know Guy Gardner at all, tracks perfectly.
Sinestro
Source: DC Studios
On the villain side, Ulrich Thomsen (“Counterpart,” “The Blacklist”) plays Sinestro, and if that name means nothing to you, ask any comics fan to say it out loud and watch their face change. It’s a loaded name for a reason.
Sinestro’s been a fixture since 1961, introduced as Hal’s mentor and one of the most decorated Lanterns in the entire Corps before his very dramatic fall from grace. It’s basically the Anakin Skywalker pipeline, except Sinestro got there decades before Anakin did. That mentor-to-monster arc is the whole point of the character, and it lines up directly with the show’s own tease of him as Hal’s “former friend.” He’s shown up in various Green Lantern and Justice League cartoons over the years too, so there’s already a solid animated blueprint for “quietly terrifying” that Thomsen gets to build on.
What makes Sinestro tick, and what’s made him endure as one of DC’s best villains for over sixty years, is that he never thought of himself as the bad guy. In the comics, he was the Corps’ best and brightest, so convinced that fear was a more effective tool than willpower that he started ruling his own sector through intimidation, all while believing he was doing the Guardians a favour.
Source: DC Comics
Thomsen isn’t the first person to bring this guy to live-action, either. Mark Strong played Sinestro in 2011’s “Green Lantern” opposite Ryan Reynolds. Where Strong played the buildup to the fall, Thomsen’s “Lanterns” version sounds like he’s arriving mid-fall or already through it, which is arguably the more interesting place to start a story than the slow-burn version audiences got in 2011.
The show’s take also gives his downfall a specific shape: this Sinestro was reportedly booted from the Corps after attempting a failed coup, having been consumed by the corrupting yellow energy of fear along the way. That’s a meatier, more concrete fall from grace than “turned evil off-screen,” and it lines up with why the Guardians are apparently side-eyeing his old pupil Hal for whatever he might have absorbed by association.
The Manhunters
Source: DC Animation
There’s a threat looming behind the murder mystery itself. The most recent trailer confirmed that “Lanterns” is bringing in the Manhunters (not to be confused with Martian Manhunter), and if that name doesn’t ring a bell, buckle up, because this is a genuinely deep cut even by Green Lantern standards.
In the comics, the Manhunters predate the Green Lantern Corps entirely. They were the Guardians’ original attempt at an intergalactic police force, an army of robotic peacekeepers built before anyone thought to hand out rings powered by willpower. It went badly. The Manhunters eventually went rogue and carried out what’s remembered in the comics as the Massacre of Sector 666, wiping out nearly everyone in an entire sector of space. The Guardians scrapped the program, destroyed most of the Manhunters, and created the Green Lantern Corps as their do-over. A few Manhunters survived, though, and have spent decades as one of the Corps’ oldest and most dangerous rivals.
Source: DC Studios | Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in HBO’s “Lanterns”
That’s a massive piece of cosmic lore to drop into a show that’s spent most of its marketing insisting it’s a grounded small-town whodunnit, and the trailer plays it exactly that way: John casually asks Hal about the Manhunters, and Hal’s reaction makes it very clear that’s not a name a rookie should already know. It’s a small moment, but it quietly suggests that whatever’s happening in this Nebraska town might be a symptom of something far older and far bigger than either Lantern initially clocked. Don’t be shocked if the “American heartland murder mystery” turns out to be a considerably smaller story than the one it’s hiding.
The Macons: Kerry, William, and Billy
Grounding the whole cosmic mess in actual dirt and asphalt is Kelly Macdonald (“Trainspotting,” “No Country for Old Men”) as Sheriff Kerry, the local law enforcement who gets pulled into the Lanterns’ orbit the second the murder investigation kicks off in her town of Rushville, Nebraska. Given that this show is procedural first, superhero second, Kerry might genuinely be more important to solving this thing than two guys with magic jewellery. She’s reportedly not thrilled about it either, getting territorial the moment a couple of self-important space cops roll into her jurisdiction like they own the place.
Source: DC Studios | Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry in “Lanterns”
There’s also a wrinkle we did not see coming: Kerry is apparently a love interest for Hal Jordan. Which, sure, a grizzled retiring Lantern falling for the sheriff of the small town he’s investigating a murder in is extremely on-brand
The rest of Kerry’s actual family, though, might be the real story here. Garret Dillahunt (“Deadwood,” “Fear the Walking Dead”) plays her father-in-law William Macon, described as a modern-day cowboy hiding a self-righteous, conspiracy-obsessed streak behind an easy charm. Jason Ritter (“Parenthood,” “Kimmy Schmidt”) plays her husband Billy, who by most accounts spends the show doing his father’s bidding rather than thinking for himself. If a father-son duo is getting this much screen focus in a whodunnit, we’d stake our entire DVD collection on them being neck-deep in whatever’s actually happening in this town. Every “Knives Out” fan knows the rule: if the family’s getting this much airtime, the family did it. Or at least knows who did.
None of the Macons come with comics pedigree, and that’s fine. They look to be an original family invented specifically to plant this show’s boots in “the American heartland” instead of low orbit.
The Stewarts
Source: DC Studios | Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry in “Lanterns”
Then there’s John Stewart’s own family thread, and the casting alone tells us it’s going to matter a lot. Nicole Ari Parker (“Soul Food,” “And Just Like That”) plays Bernadette Stewart, John’s mother, with Jasmine Cephas Jones (“Hamilton,” originating Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds on Broadway) playing a younger version of the same character.
Sherman Augustus (“Stranger Things,” “Into the Badlands”) plays John Stewart Sr., with J. Alphonse Nicholson as the younger version.
Both of these characters are original to the show, and they’ve been described as having some stubborn personalities or elements that may be at odds with John’s, which suggests some genuinely juicy parent-son tension is coming, on top of everything else John’s already dealing with.
Antaan?
Source: DC Studios
Paul Ben-Victor plays Antaan, an extraterrestrial truth-seeker with a chip on his shoulder and a body count he considers justified. The character’s been described as someone gunning to expose whoever wronged his people, and dishing out his own brand of justice along the way rather than waiting for anyone’s permission. Judge, jury, and executioner energy, basically.
There’s no “Antaan” anywhere in the Green Lantern comics, which means this is either a fully original creation for the show or a reskin of someone DC isn’t ready to name yet. And the character description lines up a little too well with one very specific comics figure for us to ignore it: Atrocitus.
For the uninitiated, Atrocitus is the founder and figurehead of the Red Lantern Corps, the rage-fuelled counterpart to Hal and John’s willpower-driven outfit. His origin is about as bleak as Green Lantern lore gets. He was one of five survivors of a massacre carried out against his people by the Manhunters, back when the robotic peacekeepers went rogue and wiped out an entire sector of space. That trauma curdled into something else entirely: Atrocitus spent the following millennia consumed by rage and revenge, eventually harnessing that fury into his own power source, red energy rings fuelled by hatred rather than will. Where a Green Lantern ring runs on overcoming fear, a Red Lantern ring runs on refusing to let go of it.
Source: DC Comics
He’s not a mustache-twirling villain in the comics, either. Atrocitus genuinely believes the Guardians of the Universe are complicit in what happened to his people, and a lot of his crusade is aimed squarely at making them answer for it. That’s a very different flavour of antagonist than Sinestro’s fallen-mentor arc, less “corrupted by power” and more “consumed by grief nobody let him properly mourn.”
If Antaan really is Atrocitus with the serial numbers filed off, it would also line up suspiciously well with the show’s confirmed Manhunter thread. An Atrocitus-coded character hunting down whoever wronged his people, on a show that’s already dropped the Manhunters and their sector-wide massacre into the mix, is not a coincidence we’re willing to write off. But again, nothing official from DC yet, so we’re filing this under educated fan theory rather than confirmed casting. Consider us on watch.
Rounding Out The Roster
Source: DC Studios | Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry in “Lanterns”
Poorna Jagannathan (“Never Have I Ever”) plays Zoe, described as every bit as composed and calculating as the powerful men circling her, and confirmed as a love interest for Stewart. Like most of the Earthbound cast, she’s an original character invented for the show.
Chris Coy (“The Deuce,” “Treme”) and Cary Christopher (“Weapons”) round out the cast as guest stars Waylon Sanders, a jittery truck driver who turns out to be sharper than he looks, and Noah, a charming kid with more going on under the surface than a small-town child descriptor would suggest.
Source: DC Studios | Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in HBO’s “Lanterns”
Laura Linney (“Ozark,” “Mystic River”) is playing one of the Guardians of the Universe aka the tiny, ancient, blue-skinned overseers who run the entire Green Lantern Corps from their home planet of Oa. Frankly, it’s a delightful piece of casting logic. A three-time Oscar nominee playing one of the most powerful bureaucrats in the galaxy tracks completely. Given how much the show has already established about the Guardians quietly side-eyeing Hal’s ties to Sinestro and Stewart’s unconventional recruitment, Linney’s Guardian is shaping up to be far more plot-relevant than a stunt cameo.
And because DC apparently cannot help itself, Paula Patton (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “Precious”) has also joined the cast in a role that remains undisclosed. So scratch one mystery off the list and pencil in another.
“Lanterns” starts streaming on HBO/HBO Max on Monday, 17 August. Be sure to charge your rings and catch it!
